CALIFORNIA RESEARCH BUREAUCALIFORNIA STATE LIBRARYStudies in the News

California -- One Hundred and Fifty Years Ago

1854 - "In 1854 the Republican Party formed under the direction of John C. Fremont. In 1856, the Republicans became a national party when John C. Fremont was nominated for President under the slogan: "Free soil, free labor, free speech, free men, Fremont." Even though they were considered a "third party" because the Democrats and Whigs represented the two-party system at the time, Fremont received 33% of the vote. Four years later, Abraham Lincoln became the first Republican to win the White House. http://www.safran-arts.com/42day/history/h4jan/h4jan16.html"

1854 - "During 1854 John C. Fremont made his fifth expedition west and traveled across Kansas, southern Colorado and Utah. He brought along photographer Solomon Nunes Carvalho, who took hundreds of daguerreotypes. The images were published in 2000 in "Sights Once Seen: Daguerreotyping Fremont’s Last Expedition Through the Rockies." In 1851, citizens of California had elected him a senator, and he became the territorial Governor of Arizona in 1878. Today, however, Fremont's youthful accomplishments as an explorer and mapmaker are more celebrated than his subsequent political career. http://www.safran-arts.com/42day/history/h4jan/h4jan16.html"

Studies in the News is a very current compilation of items significant to the Legislature and Governor's Office. It is created weekly by the State Library's Research Bureau to supplement the public policy debate in California’s Capitol. To help share the latest information with state policymakers, these reading lists are now being made accessible through the State Library’s website. This week's list of current articles in various public policy areas is presented below.

Service to State Employees:

When available, the URL for the full text of each item is provided.

California State Employees may contact the State Information & Reference Center (916-654-0206; cslsirc@library.ca.gov) with the SITN issue number and the item number [S#].

All other interested individuals should contact their local library - the items may be available there, or may be borrowed by your local library on your behalf.

Classification of High-Risk and Special Management Prisoners. By James Austin and Kenneth McGinnis, National Institute of Corrections, U.S. Department of Justice. (The Institute, Washington, DC) 2004. 104 p.

["Although high-risk and special management inmates constitute a small percentage of the national inmate population, a disproportionate amount of staff and agency resources must be allocated to them to maintain prisoner safety and institution security. Therefore, reducing the special management population can have significant cost implications for an agency."]

["Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger unveiled plans for an overhaul of California's prisons for the young, turning his focus to a system that has been widely maligned for its violence, substandard healthcare and failure to steer wayward youths toward a law-abiding future. The governor's announcement, along with the appointment of a special master, marked the settlement of a lawsuit challenging conditions in the California Youth Authority, where some of the state's most troubled and violent juvenile convicts are confined. The agreement must still be approved by a federal judge." Los Angeles Times (November 17, 2004) A1.]

["On The 10th Anniversary of Three Strikes, a new study shows counties using three strikes less frequently have larger declines in crime than those that 'strike out' more. African Americans 'struck out' at 12 times the rate of whites. Most strikes defendants are sentenced for nonviolent offenses."]

The Wealth of Indian Nations: Economic Performance and Institutions on Reservations. By Terry L. Anderson and Dominic P. Parker. Presented to the Sovereignty and Indian Affairs Seminar. Prepared for the American Enterprise Institute. (The Institute, Washington, DC) October 20, 2004. 42 p.

["Despite recent growth partly due to gambling, per capita income for Native Americans living on reservations in 1999 was $7,846 compared to a U.S. average of $21,587. Why does this bastion of poverty persist in a sea of wealth? Just as a growing number of studies show that private property, a consistent rule of law, and limited government are crucial for encouraging investment in the developing world, we argue that the same holds for reservation economies."]

["The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act requires states to negotiate in 'good faith' with tribes seeking to develop Las Vegas-style casinos.... The result has been the socially costly pursuit of wealth transfers as state and local governments have come to realize the enormity of the funds generated by Indian casinos. Among other consequences, in hopes of influencing the rules of the game and the negotiation process, tribes have now become major contributors to political campaigns."]

["Congress asked the GAO to review operational and programmatic aspects of the Census Bureau's American Community Survey that will affect the reliability of small geographic area data.... In commenting on a draft of this report, the Secretary stated that Commerce has already addressed most of the key issues identified in this report. We believe, however, that the matters are not being fully addressed and need further attention by Commerce."]

["The former Immigration and Naturalization Services (INS) had five interior immigration enforcement objectives to address federal immigration law violations.... After the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the INS and other federal agencies began merging their law enforcement functions into the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.... GAO addressed the following questions: 1) What is the status of The Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) efforts to incorporate the legacy of INS interior immigration enforcement objectives? 2) How is ICE developing budget needs, workforce plans, and performance measures for immigration-related objectives?"]

["U.S. farms vary greatly in size, specialty, and household characteristics. U.S. regions differ markedly in natural resource endowments. And states themselves are widely divergent in terms of their preferences as to how funds from agricultural programs should be spent. Given this diversity, can the delivery of agricultural programs be better tailored to distinct state and local circumstances? Devolution, or the transfer to states of federal funds and/or control of those funds, is one way of adapting national policies to suit local preferences more closely and of recognizing that program delivery costs can vary geographically."]

["This report explores demographic issues related to check cashing outlets, payday lenders, pawnshops, rent-to-own stores and auto-title lenders, collectively called 'alternative financial service providers' in 8 US cities, including Los Angeles. It examines poverty, race/ethnicity, the presence of banks within communities and whether regulations affect the number and location of these providers." Institute for the Study of Homelessness and Poverty newsletter (September 6, 2004) 1.]

["News media affects consumers perceptions of the economy through three channels. First, the news media conveys the latest economic data and the opinions of professionals to consumers. Second, consumers receive a signal about the economy through the tone and volume of economic reporting. Last, the greater the volume of news about the economy, the greater the likelihood that consumers will update their expectations about the economy."]

["The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988 specifies that states may not tax tribal gaming revenues. Tribes can agree to share a limited portion of their gaming proceeds with state and local governments, however, subject to approval by the Secretary of the Interior. In Arizona, California, Connecticut, Michigan, New Mexico, New York and Wisconsin some tribal governments have agreed to share casino revenues with the state, often in exchange for the exclusive right to conduct such gaming."]

["This report measures the net effect of the recession that started in March 2001, the income tax reductions legislated at the federal level, and the health care costs facing families on middle-class family incomes. [It] estimates the inflation-adjusted change between 2000 and 2003 in three income measures: pre-tax incomes, after-tax incomes, and after-tax and after-health-spending incomes." Moving Ideas (October 27, 2004) 1.]

["In light of the passage of the 1999 Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act and increased competition within the financial services industry at home and abroad, the GAO was asked to report on the current state of the U.S. financial services regulatory structure. This report describes the changes to the financial services industry, focusing on banking securities, futures, and insurance; the structure of the U.S. and other regulatory systems, changes in regulatory and supervisory approaches; efforts to foster communication and cooperation among U.S. and other regulators, and the strengths and weaknesses of the current regulatory structure."]

["This guide ... is designed to provide practical, hands-on information to existing after-school program staff and senior service organizations interested in partnering with after-school programs.... Contents include information on effective ways to design programs; recruit, support, and retain older adults; estimate the costs involved, and evaluate the program’s effectiveness."]

["This issue focuses on what some of the latest research says policymakers can do to improve citizenship education.... A key finding is that a majority of younger Americans (57%) are disengaged from civic life and do not share older generations' views about the responsibilities of citizenship. The report also finds a 'downward generational spiral' in electoral participation."]

["This policy brief tracks state-level population changes in the 18 and older population and addresses the implications of those changes on the demand for postsecondary education over the next 15 years. Changes in the 18 to 24-year-old and 25-and-older populations will vary widely across states. These variations raise questions about how states should focus resources to provide the postsecondary services that will be needed to expand access, improve educational attainment and produce a competitive workforce."]

["American high school students are no better prepared for college than they were 10 years ago, according to [the study] one of the two big organizations that offer college entrance tests. ACT said that of the 1.2 million students throughout the country who took its tests this year, only 22 percent were ready for college-level work in English, mathematics and science. An additional 19 percent were prepared in two of the three areas, and could succeed in the third area 'by doing just a little bit more,' the study found." New York Times (October 14, 2004) 1.]

["Whose interests should the schools serve -- the nation's or my child's? Quite properly, ambivalence abounds in answer to this question as we wrestle with the need to do both simultaneously.... What we need is not a one-sided response to a perceived crisis. What we need is a balance that recognizes the particular school responsibility for literacy and numeracy, important as they are, but also recognizes the schools' subsidiary obligation to nurture character, just as important for a democracy as well. Being smart is not enough; being good is necessary also."]

["Our review of FCMAT’s involvement at 10 school districts revealed that FCMAT provides findings and recommendations that are valuable and should help improve the financial health of school districts. All of the school districts we reviewed appeared to have implemented or partially implemented some of the recommendations we selected to review, although due to various factors, including the severity and nature of their problems, several of them continue to experience financial difficulties."]

["The University of California Regents filed a lawsuit against more than 25 energy companies Monday, claiming that they unfairly hiked natural gas prices during the California energy crisis in 2000.... UC claims that natural gas providers secretly 'worked together to manipulate and fix' the retail gas prices in California to gain profits, a violation of state law. .... The lawsuit claims the companies reported false natural gas sales to publishers who report gas prices, which drove California prices up to six times the national average." Daily Californian (November 4, 2004) 1.]

["This is first study to use a new computer program to examine airborne pollutants' effect on a regional climate. Coupled with possible reduced precipitation from global warming, the effect could be a more limited supply of water for the state's growing population." Associated Press (October 29, 2004) 1.]

["This plan identifies the clean air strategies needed to bring the Valley into compliance with the federal 1-hour ozone standard by 2010. It builds on already adopted controls and the strategies in the Valley’s 2003 State Implementation Plan (SIP) for inhalable particulate matter, then adds new Ozone SIP commitments that provided the last increment of reductions to meet the 1-hour standard."]

["An international review of a controversy over bioengineered genes in Mexican corn recommends that Mexico combat the biotech intrusion by requiring labeling or milling of kernels imported from countries such as the United States....The environmental commission was set up under the North American Free Trade Agreement and is composed of the heads of the environmental protection agencies in Canada, Mexico and the United States." Sacramento Bee (November 9, 2004) 1.]

["Parmesan and Galbraith acknowledge that nothing in the report would strike the average person as particularly alarming. They also allow that some of the past century's warming might have happened even if humans hadn't been pumping carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. But they argue that the changes they describe should be taken as a 'very clear signal' that climate change will have significant effects in coming decades. 'The canaries in the coalmine are squawking, and we should absolutely take that seriously,' Galbraith said." Associated Press Online (November 15, 2004) 1.]

["Ronald M. George, chief justice of California, told the State Bar of California that the judicial branch still faces budget challenges, but that a new change in the process gives courts greater independence and stability. In his address, George praised judges and lawyers as 'committed guardians of the rule of law and of the rights of all Californians.'" Los Angeles Times (October 15, 2004) B2.]

["A report found widespread agreement among 30 bioterrorism experts from industry, academia and the government that the nation is not prepared to combat a major epidemic. San Francisco Chronicle (November 1, 2004) A1.]

["The plan outlines the future of IT in California and ... will guide the acquisition, management and use of technology within the executive branch of state government for the next five years. The report outlines the problems facing California IT and the solutions the CIO's office proposes." Government Technology (November 8, 2004) 1.]

["Social Security numbers are a key piece of information used for committing identity crimes. The widespread use of SSNs by both the public and private sectors and their display in public records have raised concerns over how SSNs might be misused.... In light of this concern, GAO was asked to examine: (1) the extent to which SSNs are visible in records made available to the public, (2) the reasons for which government collects SSNs in records that display them to the public, and (3) the formats in which these records are stored and ways that the public gains access to them."]

["Malibu beach house, the aging San Quentin State Prison and Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum have been included on a list of properties estimated to be worth more than $4 billion that California could sell or remake into more profitable enterprises, state officials announced.... But it is far too early to predict if anything on the list would be sold. Many of the properties present huge obstacles to a transfer of ownership and sales could face potential opposition from state lawmakers, local officials and residents." Los Angeles Times (November 5, 2004) 1.]

["State laws address numerous aspects of the issue. Some of the most commonly debated and enacted bills relate to 'partial birth abortion,' public funding for abortion, 'informed consent,' or waiting periods before abortions, and fetal homicide."]

["The Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA) made many changes to the Medicare program including changes that increased the incentives for preferred provider organizations (PPO's) to serve broad regions of the country.... This paper decribes how the Congressional Budget Office analyzed the likely effects of the MMA's provisions for regional PPO's.]

["Approximately a quarter of all Americans have researched prescription drugs online, but only a few are buying pharmaceuticals through the Internet. With the price of prescription drugs increasingly becoming a political hot button, the study illustrated that only four percent of Americans have purchased drugs online, and that the majority of those purchased them from U.S.-based sites. The study also revealed that 62 percent of Americans think buying prescription drugs online is less safe than purchasing them at a local pharmacy." Internetnews.com (October 13, 2004) 1.]

2004 American Community Survey. By Belden and Russonello and Stewart Research and Communications. Prepared for Smart Growth America and National Association of Realtors. (Smart Growth America , Washington, DC) October 2004. 24 p.

["The 2004 American Community Survey covers many opinions that Americans hold about where they live, where they would like to live, and the policies for getting there. The survey reveals three main points: 1) Americans favor smart growth communities with shorter commute times, sidewalks, and places to walk more than sprawling communities; 2) The length of their commute to work holds a dominant place in American's decisions about where they live; 3) Americans want government and business to be interested in existing communities before putting resources into newer communities farther out from cities and suburbs."]

["This study of mortgage lending shows evidence of increased lending disparities where even upper-income African-Americans were more than twice as likely (2.6 times) to be turned down for loans than upper-income whites. Findings also show that larger gains in lending to minorities and lower income people were made in the earlier 1993-1998 time period, while disparities increased in the more recent five years since 1998. Although, lending to minorities and lower income families has increased, it is still at low levels compared to their share of the population and the quality of these loans has changed." Moving Ideas (November 3, 2004) 1.]

["The four main chapters of this report include surveys of three major public services (flood control, fire protection and insurance joint-underwriting authority) which influence and allow settlement of lands prone to fire and floods. The final chapter explores land use and governance topics drawing from information collected on individual cities and unincorporated communities situated along the base of the San Gabriel Mountains."]

["This paper offers some background on land-use regulatory practices, particularly in terms of their history and legal basis. A review of these practices leads to a taxonomy describing the incidence and effects of land regulation in housing markets. The review of empirical literature provides a detailed framework for evaluating and understanding what is known about effects and magnitudes."]

["This report analyzes the experiences of a group that has garnered relatively little attention in previous research: welfare 'cyclers,' families who repeatedly return to welfare assistance. The report also considers whether welfare cyclers appear to be more advantaged or more disadvantaged than other welfare recipients in the labor market." Moving Ideas (October 27, 2004) 1.]

["Hydrogen and hydrogen fuel cells may hold promise as ways to reduce vehicle emissions and reduce the nation's reliance on imported oil. Hydrogen technology is developing fast and shows a great deal of promise, but the day when hydrogen vehicles ply the streets of America is at least a decade away and even longer than that before the vehicles become commonplace."]

[The following studies, reports, and documents have been ordered or requested, but have not yet arrived. Requests may be placed, and copies will be provided when the material arrives.]

GENERAL GOVERNMENT

TERM LIMITS

The Test of Time: Coping with Legislative Term Limits. Edited by Rick Farmer and others. (Rowman and Littlefield, Lanham, Maryland) 2003. 298 p.

["Case studies of key states offer depth and context for understanding the shifting institutional changes wrought by term limits at the state level.... Cross-state comparisons examine how legislatures, legislators, and political linkages -- such as lobbying and electoral competition -- have been affected by the imposition of legislative term limits." Publisher's Announcement (2003) 1. NOTE: The Test of Time ... will be available for 3-day loan.]